Meeting the Dads 12: John Munch
by mmooch
Summary: **Part of 'Who's Your Baby's Daddy' series.** Just what SVU needed…for the conspiracy nut to actually be a victim of one.


**Meeting the Dads: John Munch**

Summary: Just what SVU needed…for the conspiracy nut to actually be a victim of one. Part of 'Who's Your Baby's Daddy?' series.

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas: zigpal, JediKnight and AnnoushkaBallard.

A/N3: I've gotten some concerned reviews about the idea that Buffy would consider an abortion when her whole life is about saving others. Just to point out, it is only _considering_. Given the danger of being a pregnant Slayer would be a good enough reason for her to think about, not to mention worrying that she was carrying the child of the human equivalent of a monster. So while she will talk about it, that in no way indicates that she'll actually do it. Okay? Feel better now?

Warning: Non-fuzzy type feelings for Maggie, Riley and the Initiative…duh!!

Rating: FR15 for language and talk of sex, of course, she's _pregnant_ after all.

Pairing: Basically a Buffy/Giles _friendship_. Anything else is up to you, the reviewers – within reason of course.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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**SVU Department, NYC**

Detective John Munch was finishing up his paperwork from last night's bust of a pedophile, looking forward to going home and taking a shower to wash away the filth he felt on his skin. He hated it when they had to pretend to identify with the perps in order to get them to confess. He let out an involuntary shudder at the memory.

As he put the papers in the appropriate inbox, he heard someone yell out to him. "Hey Munch! Ya got visitors!"

He studied the pair on his way over: a young, beautiful blonde with a man about his age – maybe just a little younger. The man was his height with slightly receding brown hair, and wearing glasses. The girl/woman was almost a foot shorter, but carried herself with incredible confidence. _**'Not a victim,'**_ his mind declared instantly.

He searched for a sign of why they were there. They didn't look like they were related, but there was something that indicated that they were very close. Friends? Lovers?

Holding out his hand, he offered his best smile to welcome them. "I'm Detective Munch, how can I help you?" Suddenly the woman looked nervous somehow; maybe he'd have to revise his earlier judgment about her not being a victim. "Are you alright, miss?" he inquired gently.

The man took his hand as he introduced himself and his acquaintance, "My name is Rupert Giles, and this is Buffy Summers. We have a private matter to discuss with you, if we may," he explained with a soft English accent.

Still concerned about the lost look on the woman's face, Munch absently agreed, "Uh, sure. Just let me grab my coat and we can go." At the man's puzzled look, he went on, "I'm just finishing my shift and was about to head home."

Now the _man_ was uncomfortable. "Right. Well, if this is a bad time, we can come back later," he offered wearily. It was clear that they wanted to get whatever it was over with.

With that in mind, Munch shrugged off the offer. "Not at all. How 'bout we grab a bite to eat, and we can talk at the restaurant?"

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After they placed their orders, Buffy took a sip of her tea before remarking, "Sorry for my earlier zone out. Precincts and me are not mixy things."

_What? _Munch was momentarily thrown by her strange phrasing. "I'm sorry, why not?" He watched as Giles looked at Buffy for guidance. It was clear that she wasn't going to speak again, but she nodded at him.

"Her junior year in high school, she accidentally caused the death of someone who was looking to hurt her and her mother. The police were reluctant to consider it as self defense – even after they found the bodies of four other women in his home that he claimed as 'wives'. _Bloody pillocks!_" he muttered under his breath. "The detective in charge of the case was upset at losing his suspect and has hounded Buffy ever since for any crime that occurs when she is within a six block radius."

Munch was shocked – and appalled – at the idea that a cop would behave like that. If what they said was true, then that detective's actions were what gave all cops a bad rep. "And his superiors haven't done anything to make him back off?" He couldn't believe that he was suggesting this, but felt he had to. "Have you filed harassment charges against him?"

Giles shook his head in apparent resignation, "It wouldn't matter. The rest of the police force in our town is either clueless or just as bad as he is."

The SVU detective saw the blonde starting to tear up while they spoke. Apparently the trip down memory lane was getting to be too much for her. Her next words confirmed that thought.

"Giles, can we get off this subject? It isn't important," she pleaded.

He quickly put his hand on top of the one that was clutching her napkin on top of the table. "Of course, my dear. Did you want me to handle it this time?" She nodded shakily as she held onto her tea with her other hand like it was a lifeline. "Well, you see, Detective, it's like this…" and he went to tell Munch the edited version of the breeding experiment.

Now Munch was a conspiracy theorist of the first order, willing to see sinister motives behind any action. But even _he_ was having a hard time grasping the reasons for what this Professor Walsh and her associates had done. Little green aliens performing breeding experiments made more sense to him.

He was wondering if maybe this was some kind of set-up by these two. But for what purpose? It wasn't as if he had money they could extort from him. His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He checked the caller ID and was shocked to see who it was. Actually, maybe this was a good thing. They could help him see if any of this was true or not.

Excusing himself to take the call, he barked, "Munch here."

"Hey, Munch," the voice answered. "So, are you enjoying your visit with Buffy Summers and Rupert Giles?"

Now Munch was stunned. "How did you know they were here?" he asked in surprise.

The person laughed. "We sent them," was the simple response.

"But they didn't say anything about knowing you," Munch replied in confusion. It certainly would have made things simpler if they had.

"That's 'cause we didn't tell them that we knew you."

Scratching his forehead, Munch made the obvious leap as to the purpose of the call, "So you know what they told me. Is it true?" he inquired, trusting his friends to tell him the truth – a novelty for the overly suspicious detective.

Despite the circumstances, he could almost hear the smile in the voice, "Yep. And I bet there's even more that they haven't told you. If you hand the phone to Buffy, I'll vouch for you, though. Then maybe they'll give you the _whole_ scoop."

Intrigued at the excitement in his friend's voice, Munch started back to his visitors. "Just a second." He hurried back to the table and gave the phone to the small blonde. Her confused expression gave way to a bemused one when she heard the voice on the other end of the line.

Running her hand through her hair in a clear show of annoyance, she muttered, "I'll ask Giles." After a brief pause, she answered, "_Fine_. I'll see you when we head down that way." Then her voice softened, "Thanks for all your help with this. We couldn't have done it without you guys."

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Buffy rolled her eyes as she handed back the phone. "So, you know the Gunman," she commented as an explanation to her friend about who she spoke to. Munch was surprised to see the matching expression on the Englishman's face.

Munch just raised an eyebrow in response. "As do you, I take it."

For the first time that day, the small blonde laughed – a beautiful sound to both men with her. "Yeah. We met through a mutual friend when this all started. They've helped out with the harder-to-find candidates." She turned to Giles and said with a significant look, "They said that we could trust the detective here with _everything_."

"Are you sure?" Munch saw the indecision in the man's face. That made him very curious as to what this could be about. He was somehow relieved when Buffy shrugged in a noncommittal way.

"Well, they haven't steered us wrong so far with the dads. They think he can handle it." Giles nodded and she looked back at Munch. "Alright, here goes. The world is older…" she began her spiel.

And for the second time that day, Munch sat there in stunned silence as she explained about demons and vampires and the fact that she had been fighting them the last four and a half years – since just after she turned 15. His stomach turned at the thought. Only his time in SVU saved him from a rushed trip to the bathroom. The monsters he faced may be only humans, but the depravity they thought up had desensitized him…to a point.

To be honest, the idea that there were _real_ monsters out there didn't really shock him that much. Plus, it helped explain why that crazy professor would pick the young lady sitting across from him for this experiment in evil. In true Munch fashion, he thought for a moment, then questioned her, "So which of the legends are true and which are false? Just in case I ever need to know."

Buffy smiled brightly at his easy acceptance and desire to protect himself and others around him.

After she finished with 'Vamp 101' – as she called it – she asked her own question, "So, do you know a Detective Robert Goren?"

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A/N: I just had to try something different and thought Munch would be the one to try it out on. What do you all think? Part 2 up next with Goren.


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